A Gainesville minister was called upon by the President to pray for him, his vice president and his family at a church service before Friday's inauguration.
That man was Jentezen Franklin, senior pastor of Free Chapel and a member of the President's Evangelical Advisory Board.
Franklin spoke on the Afternoon News Wrap Friday to talk about his experience.
"We started at about 5 a.m., had to go through a lot of security to get to the church where the service was going to be. About 600, 700 people maybe, mostly the cabinet, of course the Pence family, the Trump family," said Franklin. "Just an amazing experience. The service lasted about an hour and 15 minutes. It was very moving, very powerful," said Franklin.
"We had a rehearsal yesterday... and of course the service today. President Trump and Mike Pence, they just seemed to be so receptive and so touched this morning. It was just a beautiful time."
Franklin said they read Isaiah 26:1-8. The verse, Franklin said, talks about a city built that would have people of faith inhabit it.
"My favorite part of the verse that I read was where it challenges if you keep your mind centered on Him, He will keep you in perfect peace, and how He will be our salvation and how He will be our rock," Franklin said. "They seemed to really embrace that. I think there's something about anyone who begins this morning - they left immediately from that church service and they went over to be sworn in."
Franklin was named to the advisory board in June. He and several other religious leaders met with Trump about a year ago and he said, at first, he had some reservations.
"All of us, I think, left knowing that was not the same person that we thought he was and we saw with him a real reverence, a real appreciation for faith and faith leaders and what our country needed, he felt," Franklin said. "And it began a process and that Evangelical movement began to grow."
"We just saw a big hearted man that sometimes you don't see on TV. But there is another side to him, as there is to all of us, I guess," said Franklin.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2017/1/493053/listen-free-chapel-pastor-jentezen-franklin-discusses-spiritual-role-in-president-trumps-inauguration